Washing machine



p 22, 195 R. E. LAKE 2,904,983.

WASHING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 11 /a a /6 -76 //a. l I74, t a

5212222 AOfiffif 44/? United States Patent fiice WASHING MACHINE Robert E. Lake, Benton Harbor, Mich., assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, St. Joseph, Mieh., a corporation of Delaware Original application October 20, 1954, Serial No. 463,403,

now Patent No. 2,826,905, dated March 18, 1958. D1- vided and this application July 31, 1957, Serial No. 675,339

5 Claims. (Cl. 68-22) The present invention is directed to an improved washing machine assembly and, more particularly, an improved detachable cover assembly for washing machines having self-contained wringer assemblies.

The washing machine assembly of the present invention provides a cover member positionable over the wringer assembly of the machine to cover and conceal the wringer and close off the washing machine tub. Means are also provided on the casing of the washing machine whereby a cover may be detachably connected to the casing to function as an article receiving tray for receiving articles discharged from the wringer.

An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine assembly with a detachable cover which also serves as a clothes hamper for receiving clothes discharged from the wringer mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a detachable cover assembly for a washing machine which is invertable to form a tray arranged to be detachably secured to the casing of the washing machine.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention, itself, however, both as v ing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation, and partly in crosssection, of a washing machine embodying the improved cover of the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view, with parts in elevation, illustrating the manner in which the cover of the washing machine may be removed and re-attached to the casing to form a hamper for receiving wash from the wringer assembly.

In Figure 1, reference numeral 10 indicates generally a washing machine including a generally rectangular cabinet 11, which is provided at its base with a plurality of non-swiveling casters 12 spacing the machine from the supporting floor.

The top of the cabinet 11 is formed with an inwardly extending flange portion 11a, the latter serving to bottom a resilient retaining ring 13. Disposed above the retaining ring 13 is a hollow cover member 14 which has an inwardly turned flange portion 14a resting on the retaining ring 13 when the cover 14 is disposed in a position in which it encloses a wringer mechanism generally indicated at numeral 15 in the drawings.

The resilient retaining ring 13 also receives flange portions 16a and 17a of a shelf-like flange 16 and a tub 17, respectively, the marginal edges 16a and 17a being secured together by welding or other suitable means. The flange 16 is shown as having a plate 16b secured thereto open at its center, and having a downwardly and inwardly turned edge 16c forming a smooth clothes receiving opening for the tub 17.

As best illustrated in Figure 1, the tub 17 is generally Patented Sept. 22, 1959 rectangular and is provided with an upwardly sloping base portion 17b. A vertically extending boss or center post 18 is secured to the base 17b by a plurality of bolts or machine screws 19 whose ends are received in threaded engagement in a plurality of internally threaded spacer rods 21.

Extending through the hollow boss or center post 18 is a drive shaft 22 which is keyed or otherwise secured to an arcuately shaped impeller 23 upon whose periphery is disposed a plurality of agitator vanes 24. v

The opposite ends of the spacer rod 21 have threaded end portions along which aplurality of nuts 26 are received in threaded engagement, the nuts 26 serving to fasten a support plate 27 in spaced relation to the bottom of the tub 17.

The drive mechanism'for the agitator may include an electric motor 30 which is supported in depending relation from the supportplate 27 by means: of a plurality of suspension bolts 37. The motor 30 has an output shaft 31 to which is secured a pulley 32, with a belt 33 being provided to couple the output of the motor 30 to a pulley 34 attached to a shaft 35. A transmission system generally indicated at numeral 36 of the drawings transforms the constant rotary motion of the shaft 35 into an oscillatory motion of the agitator through any suitable mechanical means. I

The washing machine assembly illustrated also employs an improved heating element which is described and claimed more particularly in my application Serial No. 463,403, filed October 20, 1954, now Patent No. 2,826,- 905 and entitled Washing Machine. This application is a division of the aforementioned parent application Serial No. 463,403.

As seen in Figure 1, the heating unit may include a centrally apertured plate 38 which has a contour substantially complementary to the contour of the base 171;. The plate 38 is spaced from the sub-base 17b by a pair of resiliently deformable seal rings 39 and 40 composed of a material such as a silicone rubber which has the ability to resist penetration by moisture and moisture vapor. Thus, when the seal rings 39 and 40 are compressed between the plate 38 and thetub base 17, there is provided a substantially fluid tight space in which a pancake type heating element 41 may be located without substantial danger of an electrical arc-over occurring.

The washing machine illustrated in the drawings employs a hand operated wringer mechanism including a pair of cooperating wringer rolls 71 and 72 journalled for rotation between a pair of spaced bearing support members 73 and 74. The lower wringer roll 72 has a shaft 75 extending through the bearing support member 74 and a pivotally mounted operating crank 76 engages the shaft extension.

When the cover 14 is in the position illustrated in Figure 1, it serves as an eflective shield against dust and moisture entering the interior of the washing machine. When the machine is being operated however, the cover 14 can be employed as a hamper for receiving wash being passed through the wringer assembly 15'. Means are provided for detachably supporting the cover 14, these means taking the form of a pair of brackets 78 which are secured to an offset portion 11b of the cabinet 11. The brackets 78 are formed with outwardly extending angular bent end portions 78a and 78b at opposed ends. The upper bent end portions 78b provide upwardly opening hooks for receiving the cover 14. The lower bent end portions 78a provide inclined engaging surfaces, and each has a resilient bumper 81 arranged to engage the back of the cover 14 to prevent marring the finish of the cover 14. The cover 14 is engaged with the upper bent end portion 7812 by providing a pair of spaced slots 14b 3 through which the angularly extending portions 78b may be received. In the position illustrated by the dotted lines of Figure 2, the cover 14 is in its inverted position and thereby provides a tray-or hamper for materials being passed through the wringer assembly.

It will be evident that various modifications can be made to describe the embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A wringer washing machine comprising a washing machine tub having a top wall defining a top opening, a casing around said rub, a wringer extending superjacent said top wall and including support means positioning said wringer between an outside edge of said top wall and said opening, and a hollow cover having side walls and a transverse wall extending between said side walls, said cover being adapted to rest upon the top wall and thereby cover and conceal the wringer and close off the washing machine tub while said wringer is in its operative position, said casing having means forming horizontally spaced apart outwardly extending angularly bent projecting hooks positioned onthe Wall of said casing below said outside edge, and. resilient bumper means on said casing below said hook-forming means, said cover having detachable connecting means on one of said side walls engageable with said hooks with said cover in inverted position and said cover further including an abutment portion to engage against said resilient bumper means to retain said cover in transverse projecting tray-forming relation with respect to the casing to receive articles of clothing discharged from the wringer.

2. A wringer washing machine comprising a Washing machine tub having a top wall defining a top opening, a casing around said tub, a wringer extending superjacent said top wall and including support means positioning said wringer between an outside edge of said top wall and said opening, a hollow cover having side walls and a transverse wall extending between said side walls, said cover beind adapted to rest upon the top wall and thereby cover and conceal the wringer and close oil the wash ing machine tub while said wringer is in its operative position, said casing having a pair of horizontally spaced apart brackets formed with outwardly extending angular bent end portions at opposite vertically disposed ends thereof, one of each said end portions comprising a hook and the other of each said end portions comprising an inclined engaging surface, a resilient bumper on each said inclined engaging surface, said cover having a pair of slots shaped and spaced in one of said side Walls to receive said hooks, the side walls of said cover engaging against said resilient bumpers when said cover is positioned in projecting inverted tray-forming position on said casing to receive articles of clothing discharged from the wringer.

3. A wringer washing machine comprising a casing, a tub nested within said casing and having an access opening formed therein, a wringer mounted above said tub and including mounting means for positioning said wringer adjacent said access opening, a hollow removable cover covering said opening and concealing said wringer, said casing and cover having cooperating connector elements for supporting said cover in an inverted tray forming relationship below the level of said wringer to receive fabrics passed through said wringer comprising spaced apart openings in said cover and upwardly directed projections mounted on said casing and engageable with said openings.

4. A wringer washing machine as defined in claim 3, said tub having an outturned peripheral flange, a top wall defining an access opening into said tub and including a peripheral flange abutting said outturned peripheral flange, a gasket encompassing both of said flanges and abutting said casing, and said hollow removable cover including a peripheral portion engageable with said gasketto provide a cushioned support for said cover.

5. A wringer washing machine as defined in claim 4 in which said top wall defines a shoulder and in which said peripheral portion on said cover includes an inwardly directed flange encompassing said shoulder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 168,292 -Dreyfuss Dec. 2, 1952 2,632,684 Anderson Mar. 24, 1953 2,679,151 Cockerill et a1. May 25, 1954 2,732,700 Dunn Jan. 31, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 511,370 Great Britain Aug. 17, 1939 

